Nicknamed "Old Ironsides," the oldest warship still in commission first launched in 1797.
The USS Constitution was first launched in 1797. It served in the Quasi-War against France, the First Barbary War, and the War of 1812, during which it earned its nickname for the resilience it displayed in a battle against a British warship. It is still in commission, operating in ceremonial roles as a "ship of state." The USS Constitution Museum is nearby on Pier 2.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of life as it was in north central Texas at the turn of the 20th Century at the A.W. Perry Homestead Museum.
A.W. and Sarah (Huffman) Perry were pioneer homesteaders of Peters Colony who came to Carrollton in the year 1844 from Carrollton, Illinois. They claimed 640 acres and built a house on this farm in 1857. In 1909, their son Dewitt Perry and his wife Francis (Grimes) tore down the first house and used some of the lumber to build the present day house. This structure is now the Museum, restored in 1976 for the bicentennial. You can still find the foundation stones of the first Perry farmhouse in the backyard of the Museum.
The mission of the Bristol Historical Society is to promote an interest in local history and encourage an appreciation for its importance.
At the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, visitors can see a plethora of educational and entertaining exhibits related to Texas history. Visitors can explore the heart of Texas art, the free spirit of the Taos and Santa Fe schools, and the unsurpassed Southwest American Indian art. Visitors can unlock the hidden world of the ancient past through our paleontology, geology and archeology areas while learning about the rich history of the region and seeing some of the finest examples of American fashion in the Textiles Gallery.
The Museum provides one of the best remaining examples of an early, automated systems gin still in its original historic setting. The gin and other buildings and artifacts in the collection are largely in their last-used condition and comprise one of only a few such intact rural industrial sites in the country.
The Navy ship formed part of the quarantine of Cuba during the 1962 Missile Crisis. A portion of its interior is open to tours.
This Forrest Sherman-class destroyer is only the third of its kind left in existence. She bears the name of John Barry, an officer who fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. She served in the 1958 military action on Beirut, Lebanon, in the quarantine of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, and in Vietnam, where she destroyed 1,000 enemy structures. Some of the ship's interior is open to tours.
The only submarine museum operated by the U.S. Navy is the home of the USS Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered vessel.
The Submarine Force Museum, located on the Thames River in Groton, Connecticut, maintains the world's finest collection of submarine artifacts. It is the only submarine museum operated by the United States Navy, and as such is the primary repository for artifacts, documents and photographs relating to U.S. Submarine Force history. The museum traces the development of the "Silent Service" from David Bushnell's Turtle, used in the Revolutionary War, to the Ohio and Virginia class submarines.
Originally established as "The Submarine Library" by Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in 1955, the Submarine Force Library and Museum soon gained respect for its archival and research value. In April 1964, the entire collection was donated to the Navy and relocated to the Naval Submarine Base, New London, Groton, Connecticut. The name "Submarine Force Library and Museum" was officially adopted in 1969.
The Sam Rayburn House Museum explores the life and times of influential Congressman Sam Rayburn.
The House Museum allows visitors to tour the house of the famous politician, where they can view exhibits of Rayburn family items, to help visitors understand the life and lifestyle of "Mr. Sam".
The Museum guides visitors through the unique and varied history of Bell County. The exhibit examines the historical journey of Bell County by focusing on the many people, places, and events which have created it, portraying not only Bell County's uniqueness but also its close relationship to the Southern experience, the rugged spirit of the West, and to state and national history.
The John Jay French house, built in 1845, was one of the first painted houses as well as one of the first two-story houses in Beaumont, Texas. The first home in Beaumont built with milled lumber, the John Jay French house is one of Beaumont's oldest surviving homes.